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Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
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#1
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Repairing key on IMac keyboard
What is the story on the standard (small blue) USB keyboard? I have suddenly
got two in with one key on each not working and can't find a reference to this on Google. Is this a known problem? Is there a simple cure such as unscrew the lower panel off and run a cleaner over the contacts? Or dip it in a tub or spray inside with WD-40? Or do none of these 'solutions' work because the problem is internal and electrical? Nobody on the Mac hardware forum seemed to know what I thought must be a reasonalby obvious question Licensed to Quill |
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Licensed to Quill ) wrote:
: What is the story on the standard (small blue) USB keyboard? I have suddenly : got two in with one key on each not working and can't find a reference to : this on Google. : Is this a known problem? Is there a simple cure such as unscrew the lower : panel off and run a cleaner over the contacts? Or dip it in a tub or spray : inside with WD-40? Or do none of these 'solutions' work because the problem : is internal and electrical? : Nobody on the Mac hardware forum seemed to know what I thought must be a : reasonalby obvious question It's pointless to fix. The Mac keyboards are basically the same as most cheap wintel ones, two giant sized peices of mylar with the painted-on grey conductive strips, mashed together via a rubber "spring" between the key and top mylar. Chances are, like buttons that wear out on remote controls, the conductive pad is probably worn out. Even if you know for a fact the key died because of a coffee spill or whatever, the disassembly and reassembly is time consuming and not likely to do any good in the end. The major problem is those rubber bumpers, you'll have 106 of them rolling out when you take off the backplate and reseating them so they are all in place while trying to put back 36 badly machined screws, is not for the easily frustrated. If you google around there actually are several websites with blow-by-blow details of trying to repair the Mac Pro Keyboard, which is an expensive (although no real reason why) peice of hardware. Estimated times for the job is 4 to 6 hours. There is no reason you can't use a regular made-for-wintel usb keyboard. Electronically they are the same except for 4 keys (volume up/down/mute and cd eject). If those are important to you, other companies like MacAlly sell suitable replacements starting at $20. There are few keyboards out there that don't use the mylar/rubber "switch" anymore. And those that do use traditional mechanical switches are very expensive, well over $100, closer to $200. Soaking the keyboard in anything will just ruin it. The liquid will get between the mylar sheets and stay there. Even if it evaporates, if there is any residue, it'll clog the pads. It's just another consumer item meant to be tossed when broken. -bruce |
#3
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Well that pretty much answers myt question, especially as I have just
obtained a MS keyboard with a USB connector and didnt actually know tjhat you could use them intercahngeably] Now however i have a more pressing problem about which I need to get an answer: This was one broken system. When I turn it on, nothing happens on the screen or in the computer beyond the power button light light and fan coming on when I press the button on the keyboard or on the unit itself. No gong, no perceivable HDD activity etc Is there some sort of reset button or start sequence I can try (I am not sure I can get as far as doing anything with the keyboard??) or is it time to open the thing up and start looking around inside it for blown fuses on the power supply? (If so, how or is it worthwhile or is the problem OBVIOUSLY the whole power supply in this situation, - is this a known set of circumstances as well)? |
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